Grade meter



1939- H. SCHOENLEBER 2,170,269

GRADE METER Filed Feb. 23, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet l FIGURE 2 GOING DOWN GRADE FIGURE I INVENTOR.

L.H. .Schoen/eber ATTORNEYS.

Aug. 22, 1939.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 23, 1939 FIGURE 3 FIGURE 4 INVENTOR. L.H.$chaenlebar BY v m ATTORNEYS.

Patented Aug. 22 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as mended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) This application is made under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended by the act of April 30, 1928, and the invention herein described and claimed may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This application relates to a device for laying out contour lines for use in the method of farm- 10 ing known as contour farming, which method is used to materially reduce soil and water losses on sloping land.

In order to popularize this method of farming and thereby to bring about an effective erosion 15 control, it is necessary to put at the disposal of farmers means by which contour lines can be laid out with the least amount of labor, inconvenience, delay, and expense.

One of the objects of this invention is the pro- 20 vision of a device which can be attached to a tractor, or other vehicle, to indicate the grade upon which the tractor or vehicle is operating, thereby permitting the operator to steer on a horizontal course.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a device of the type mentioned which is simple, inexpensive, and easy to maintain and operate.

A further object of this invention is the pro- 30 vision of a device of the type mentioned which is not appreciably affected by shocks or vibrations which may be transmitted to it from the vehicle or by wind forces.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of a device of the type mentioned which is not affected in its operation by swaying or by other lateral movements of the vehicle to which it is attached.

The following description considered together with the accompanying drawings will disclose this invention more fully, its construction, arrangements, and operations of parts and further objects and advantages thereof will be apparent.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of this invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view with a portion of the lid broken away.

Figure 3 is a section along the line 3-3 of 50 Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a section along the line 8-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an enlarged section of the pendulum 5 Referring with more particularity to the drawings in-which like numerals designate like parts, the numeral I designates a suitable base support to which are secured upright supports II, II. A container or vat I2 is suspendedby a rod I3, rotatably mounted in anti-friction bearings I4, I4 at the upper ends of the uprights II, II, substantially as shown. The container I2 is watertight and is normally filled with oil, preferably S. A. E. 160 transmission oil.

Within the container I2, a pendulum is mounted below the shaft I3. Said pendulum consists of a pendulum arm I5 to which is secured plates l6 and H. The pendulum is suspended from a shaft I8 to which it is fixed, said shaft being rotatably mounted perpendicular to the shaft meml5 ber I3 in bearings I9 and 20, said bearings being disposed in the sides of the container I2, the bearing being substantially liquid-tight through which 'one end of the shaft I8 projects. This projecting end of the shaft I8 is fixed to a 20 gear wheel 2| which actuates a rotatably mounted pointer 22 through a train of magnification gears 23. In back of the pointer 22 a dial 24, having a scale inscribed thereon, is secured to the outside face of the container I2. 25

The sides of the plates I6 and I! are provided with fins 25 and 26, respectively. Each of the fins 25 and 26 is slidably disposed between an angle 2'1 and a channel 28, substantially as shown, the fins 25 and 28 being L-shaped to fit 30 the channel. These fins also extend up a short distance on either side of the shaft I8 so that they may be manually removed. A lid 29 is removably secured on top of the vat.

The operation of this invention is as follows: 5 The device is mounted on a tractor or other vehicle so that the pendulum is free to swing in the vat in the direction of travel. As the vehicle moves along the surface of the ground, the pendulum will swing with respect to the vat when a variation in grade is encountered. As the pendulum swings in this manner, it rotates the shaft I8 which in turn, through the train of gears 23, rotates the pointer 22 over the face of the dial 2!, thus indicating the direction and degree of 5 grade.

By keeping the pendulum submerged in oil any shocks or vibrations which may be transmitted from the tractor to the device or any surging oscillations are quickly dampened. The 0 fins 25 and 26 smooth out rapid deflections of the pendulum.

Should the vehicle swing laterally the pendulum will always remain in a vertical position since the container I2 is hinged to the top of the u uprights II, II. The two degrees of freedom thus provided are sumcient to take care of all positions of the tractor and keep the pendulum always perpendicular.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A grade meter comprising vertical uprights, a horizontal rod mounted on said uprights, a liquid container suspended on said rod between said uprights. a horizontal shaft perpendicular to said rod rotatably mounted between the sides of said container, one end of said shaft extending through the container, a pendulum fixed to and suspended from said shaft in said container, fins slidably secured to the sides of said pedulum, a

dial secured to the outside face of said container through which said shaft extends, a pointer rotatably mounted over said dial and means responsive to said shaft for actuating said pointer.

2. A grade meter comprising vertical uprights, a horizontal rod mounted on said uprights, a liquid container suspended on said rod between said uprights, a horizontal shaft perpendicular to said rod rotatablv mounted in the sides of said contatably mounted over said dial, and a train of gears connecting said shaft and said pointer.

3. A grade meter comprising vertical uprights, 1o

a-horinontal rod mounted on said uprights, a liquid container suspended on said rod between said uprights, a horizontal shaft perpendicular to said rod, rotatably mounted in bearings in the sides of said container, a pendulum fixed to and suspended from said shaft in said container, fins slidably secured to the sides of said penduhim, a dial secured to an outside face of said container, a pointer rotatabiy'mounted over said dial, and a train of magnification gears connectin: said shaft and said pointer.

L. H. SCHOENLEBER. 

